Warner Bros. Pictures’ new comedy “Grudge Match” pairs heavy hitters Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky” films, “The Expendables”) with the larger-than-life comedy of Kevin Hart and the irascible wit of Alan Arkin for a one-two punch for fans of every generation.

Even before De Niro’s “The Kid” and Stallone’s “Razor” get into the ring to settle their decades-old score, both the fists and the barbs fly across the screen as the two contenders prepare to meet in the rematch of the century.

In the film, De Niro and Stallone play Billy “The Kid” McDonnen and Henry “Razor” Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate, Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.

But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.

“I’ve always loved boxing, and I’ve always been attracted to second chance stories,” says comedy veteran Peter Segal, the film’s director and producer. “But even more important than the fight is the second chances the characters are given to repair relationships they destroyed three decades earlier. In essence, the fight becomes a metaphor for never giving up.”

Producer Bill Gerber remarks, “In addition to playing out an unresolved contention in the ring, this story felt like a great opportunity to talk about unresolved relationships. It shows the humanity—and the humor—of getting older and as I’m getting older, I’m interested in telling those stories.”

Screenwriter Tim Kelleher came up with the idea for “Grudge Match” after thinking about the almost-was 1999 heavyweight rematch between Larry Holmes and George Foreman, when both were 50 years old. Although the fight never came to pass, Kelleher says he couldn’t help but think of all the great fighters who were retired, but would love to box again if given a chance. He wondered, “What if there were two old fighters whose rivalry was legendary but never fully settled?”

With that in mind, Kelleher created the characters of Henry “Razor” Sharp and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen, two boxers from Pittsburgh whose rivalry brought them fame and fortune, until Razor unceremoniously dropped out of their decisive third bout, and both fell into obscurity. In “Grudge Match,” Razor and Kid are presented with the opportunity to return to a moment in time with the chance to do things differently.

“It’s about guys who were really tough in their time, but have lost their sense of identity,” Kelleher says. “Then, all of a sudden, they have a chance to go back and regain all of those things that made them who they were. But even if they want to fight each other, the question now is, can they?”

Opening across the Philippines in Jan. 15, 2014, “Grudge Match” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

Touchstone Pictures’ upcoming blockbuster “Lone Survivor” has been lauded by critics as a profoundly moving and “deeply intense” tribute to America’s Navy SEALs – but getting the film off the ground was no easy feat.

Based on retired Petty Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell’s 2007 best-selling book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, the film adaptation tells the chilling story of one historically fateful day. On June 28, 2005 a four-man reconnaissance and surveillance team set out on a mission in the desolate region in Kunar province to identify a key Taliban leader believed to be responsible for the deaths of several U.S. service members.

Suddenly faced with an unfathomable ambush of enemy fire, Lieutenant Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Second Class Petty Officer Matthew Gene “Axe” Axelson (Emilie Hirsch), and Second Class Danny P. Dietz (Ben Foster) perished while fighting with relentless will and bravery alongside their brothers-in-arms. Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) became the only survivor following the intense gunfight and five days in the remote mountains, protected from the terrorist organization by village locals.

A total of 11 SEALs and eight soldiers lost their lives on that mountain as rescue aircrafts too were shot down, and at that time the tragedy marked the biggest single loss of life for Naval Special Warfare forces since World War ll.

Yet despite “Lone Survivor’s” captivating plotline, it turns out that the based-on-a-true-story movie almost didn’t make the leap from book to the big screen. According to producer Randall Emmet, investors were initially skeptical, and they worried that the film wouldn’t appeal to international markets.

“At first they thought it was too ‘down the middle,’ and there were risks in it. It didn’t fit into a certain genre like action or thriller. This is a really heartfelt drama and that can be conceived as more risky versus a mainstream, commercial action movie,” Emmet said. “But I felt a personal responsibility to make this happen. Even if we made no money, Peter [Berg, the director] and I knew this was a story about humanity, compassion, selflessness and it had to be made regardless. We took some meetings in Cannes, and thankfully investors saw that [vision] too.”

But Luttrell said he was simply honored Hollywood honchos would even want to tell his story.
“No matter how many times I get up and tell [it], or how many people read the book, it’s nothing compared to how many people will watch this film,” Luttrell said.

And for the actors, the pressure was on to capture these real-life characters in an authentic way – a way that could serve as some sort of comfort for families of the fallen.

“Getting into character firstly there was the physical side, three months of training at an extreme level to look the part of Michael Murphy. I also got to go the SEAL base in Hawaii and sit and talk to Marcus and others, and hear stories about Murph and the funny moments and how he found his motivations,” Kitsch said. “We’re all guilty of being in our own bubble but doing a film like this, it grounds you. It makes you take a hard look in the mirror at the opportunities you have and the relationships… Audiences need to realize that these men don’t start the war; they just go and fight it. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on politically, everyone should be pro-soldier.”

Co-star Eric Bana, who plays Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen, first became a film face for Special Ops in the 2001 action movie “Black Hawk Down,” too stressed the importance of telling a story that would give audiences an even deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by our troops in combat.
“I just hope audiences really get a sense of what an incredible task these men are faced with,” he told us. “I knew going into this movie, it was going to be a very special experience. The camaraderie was incredible.”

Yet for Luttrell, a former SEAL accustomed to fighting the fight far away – without the need for accolades and pats on the back – having now been thrust into the Hollywood limelight with an onslaught of press attention is far from his comfort zone.

“I can’t wait to get out of here,” he added with a laugh. “I just want to get back to my ranch in Texas.”Opening across the Philippines on January 2014, “Lone Survivor” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

“How To Train Your Dragon 2” comes back after five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk. All grown up now, with their friends, Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races as the island’s new favorite contact sport. While Hiccup and Toothless fly away in unknown territories for more fun and adventure, they soon encounter a fearsome rider who is building an army of beasts by trapping dragons. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

From DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens June 2014 in cinemas nationwide in the Philippines to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The main one-sheet for Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has just been released by Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM Pictures.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Marvel has just released the first official poster for their upcoming sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier starring Chris Evans!

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo with a script from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the new film follows the continuing adventures of Steve Rogers (Evans) still struggling to adjust to present day life, when a powerful new enemy emerges.

Scarlett Johansson also returns in the film as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow along with Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Toby Jones, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Maximiliano Hernández, Robert Redford, Georges St-Pierre and Sebastian Stan in the role of Bucky Barnes who will be resurrected as the titular Winter Soldier.

Disney releases Captain America: The Winter Soldier next spring on April 4th, 2014.

Universal Pictures has released the first trailer and poster for the new high-flying thriller Non-Stop starring Liam Neeson!

Non-Stop is produced by Joel Silver, with a script from Christopher Roach and John W. Richardson.

Synopsis:

Global action star Liam Neeson stars in Non-Stop, a suspense thriller played out at 40,000 feet in the air. During a transatlantic flight from New York City to London, U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) receives a series of cryptic text messages demanding that he instruct the airline to transfer $150 million into an off-shore account. Until he secures the money, a passenger on his flight will be killed every 20 minutes. The film reunites Neeson with Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Joel Silver, and co-stars Golden Globe Award winner Julianne Moore.

Julianne Moore and Michelle Dockery co-stars in the movie.

Also included in the cast are Corey Stoll (Hemingway in Midnight in Paris), Linus Roache (Thomas Wayne in Batman Begins), Scoot McNairy (Killing Them Softly, Argo), Anson Mount (the lead on AMC’s ‘Hell on Wheels’), andsupermodel Bar Paly .